8 Disappointing Movies I Believe Could Have Been Saved By A Director Change

Scattered throughout Hollywood are movies that are just a little disappointing, leading me to believe that they would have been more impactful with a different director making some slight changes to the story. In some of these cases, I have a hard time describing exactly what went wrong when it just feels a little bland. The director’s job includes understanding how a multitude of small changes will make a movie better. In the back of my mind is the vague idea that some lackluster movies would have been spectacular if one of the top Hollywood directors had applied their style to them.

With some movie franchises that have gone on for too long, I am astounded that producers keep moving forward with more disappointing sequels instead of taking the time to understand how they mishandled the story and its major themes in the previous installment. On the other hand, some disappointing original movies have interesting premises and the script just needed some more rewrites before going into production, perhaps with the help of another writer or director. When a director change would have made all the difference, it is usually because the movie wasted a great premise.

8 Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)

Should Have Been Directed By David Fincher Or Ridley Scott

Several major directors passed on Terminator 3 after James Cameron turned down the offer to return, including David Fincher, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, and Steven Spielberg, primarily due to them all being busy with other projects. The job eventually went to the comparatively unknown director Jonathan Mostow; Terminator 3 is still his most well-known project. Mostow and the team of writers were given a tricky task with this movie. This was the third time the franchise was going through the motions of a Terminator coming back in time to kill one of the Connors, a scenario that was starting to become redundant.

Terminator 3 would have benefited from a director who likely could have spearheaded a more complex framework for the continuation of the time-travel storyline and the question of whether the future can be changed. Fincher directed twisting, clever narratives for Se7en and The Social Network; Scott’s experience with profoundly simple sci-fi scenarios also would have been valuable. Terminator 3 takes the easiest narrative option of saying that the future is malleable, undoing the implications of the previous movies. A director willing to work with the writers to find a more difficult answer would have helped this movie live up to its predecessors.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the third installment in the Terminator series, directed by Jonathan Mostow. Released in 2003, the film follows John Connor, played by Nick Stahl, as he faces the threat of a new, more advanced Terminator model, the T-X, portrayed by Kristanna Loken. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the T-800, sent back to protect John and ensure the survival of humanity against rising machine threat.

Director

Jonathan Mostow

Release Date

July 2, 2003

Runtime

109 minutes

7 City Of Ember (2008)

Should Have Been Directed By Alfonso Cuarón

City of Ember is a weird movie where I have an extremely hard time figuring out what about it doesn’t work. The sequence of events makes relative sense, as do the actions of the main characters as they find a way out of their underground city. The premise is rich with potential, and while this movie doesn’t find the time to explore the story behind Ember, there may have been plans to do this in a sequel (City of Ember 2 was canceled). Additionally, early-career Saoirse Ronan matched with Bill Murray and Toby Jones should have been a hit.

However, City of Ember perhaps failed because it didn’t convey anything profound through the serviceable adventure story. The movie’s only an hour and a half long — there was more time to delve into the world. The studio might have thought Monster House director Gil Kenan teamed up with Nightmare Before Christmas writer Caroline Thompson would infuse the story with more spooky aspects. What Alfonso Cuarón did with Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, imparting a lot more about the setting through symbolism rather than dialogue, might have worked for City of Ember, making it a compact but still meaningful movie.

6 The Wolverine (2013)

Should Have Been Directed By Ang Lee

The Wolverine is just another installment in Fox’s X-Men universe that puts way too much focus on Wolverine when its better movies showcase other characters. It’s not the worst movie of this franchise, but it does go down some predictable paths and still hinges on the one-sided romance between Logan and Jean. What’s baffling is that James Mangold went on to direct Logan, a far superior movie. Mangold also wrote Logan, which functions as a standalone. Therefore, maybe a disconnect between the director and writers and the demands of setting up the next X-Men movie are to blame.

As far as a different director who could have improved The Wolverine, Lee would have been a strong choice. Lee is, of course, known for the milestone movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi, and Brokeback Mountain, which broke ground in storytelling, visuals, and choreography. His superhero experience is directing Hulk, an overall average movie. However, The Wolverine could have been Lee’s chance to improve upon his previous superhero work and further develop the finished product. The Wolverine is a one-off adventure, demanding that the standalone story be thematically important on its own, but it is too dependent upon clichés.

The Wolverine

Based on the 1982 comic event “Wolverine,” The Wolverine takes place after X-Men: The Last Stand and follows Logan on a journey to Japan at the behest of a former acquaintance. Living in isolation after the world-changing events in the prior movie and haunted by the death of the woman he loved, Logan is found and asked to travel to Japan to meet with a man named Ichiro, who he had saved during World War II. At the end of his life, Ichiro offers Logan a chance to free himself of his healing abilities to finally die by taking them for himself. However, Logan soon learns that Ichiro’s intentions for immortality are far less honorable than he had expected, leading him to struggle to face off with a former ally.

Release Date

July 26, 2013

Cast

Famke Janssen , Will Yun Lee , Brian Tee , Hugh Jackman

Runtime

2h 6m

5 The Purge (2013)

Should Have Been Directed By Bong Joon-ho

The Purge favors action and gore over substantial social discourse; each of the sequels touches upon the wealth gap in some way, but none fully commit to it. The first movie stays with the perspective of an upper-class family all the way through, not spending too much time on the other characters. There isn’t much reflection on the fact that the unfortunate chain of events that befell this family is the reality for much of the population every year. However, The Purge is a concept with the potential to be a deep horror movie if it fine-tuned its execution.

Bong Joon-ho is a master at creating semi-realistic scenarios that viscerally depict class divides with undertones of horror. The Oscar-winning director’s Parasite, like The Purge, shows characters who are not action heroes embroiled in a conflict that begins as opportunism but turns bloody. On the other hand, his gritty dystopia thriller Snowpiercer illustrates how a system tells itself it is dependent upon the wealth gap. I do not doubt that Bong could have added dialogue or characters to The Purge that would have given the movie a stronger purpose, rather than just being the start of a weird horror franchise.

The Purge

The film that began the franchise of the same name, The Purge is a dystopian horror-thriller that takes place over the span of one harrowing night. In an alternate future, a law has been passed to make all crimes legal for one night per year. The Purge follows a wealthy family (Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane) when they are beset by a gang of criminals with violent intentions. With no police to keep them safe, the Sandin family must fight to protect themselves from the criminal element that threatens their lives.

Director

James DeMonaco

Release Date

June 7, 2013

Cast

Adelaide Kane , max burkholder , Ethan Hawke , Edwin Hodge , Lena Headey

Runtime

85 minutes

4 Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Should Have Been Directed By Rian Johnson

Ineffective arcs for the legacy characters and repetitive plots are among the problems with the sequel trilogy. However, the overall spirit of the franchise endures and even thrives with these things. The biggest issue that can’t be ignored is the conflicting visions of different directors. What aggravates me is that each creator who got a turn with Star Wars was more committed to their specific idea for the story than delivering a satisfying continuation of the beloved franchise to the fans. Ultimately, J.J. Abrams should have directed all three movies, or Rian Johnson should have directed the last installment.

I personally am an advocate for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so I would vote for the director who would complete the story this movie sets up to happen. However, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker could have also been picked up by another experienced action director who focused on delivering a serviceable conclusion without throwing in a bunch of crazy plot twists. Rise of Skywalker has some good character moments and interesting action, while its biggest weaknesses are Rey’s parentage retcon, the Palpatine twist, and underusing Finn’s character. Without these things, it might have been a fun, action-packed conclusion.

Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

This is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and serves as the culmination of the Skywalker saga. The film sees Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) team up to put an end to the First Order after Palpatine mysteriously returns. Jurassic World helmsman Colin Trevorrow was originally named director back in 2015 when the film first entered development, but he parted ways with Lucasfilm due to creative differences over the script. In September 2017, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams signed on to finish what he started.

Release Date

December 20, 2019

Cast

Carrie Fisher , Oscar Isaac , Anthony Daniels , Joonas Suotamo , Mark Hamill , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Kelly Marie Tran , Billie Lourd , Keri Russell , Richard E. Grant , Daisy Ridley , Lupita Nyong’o , Dominic Monaghan , John Boyega , Domhnall Gleeson , Billy Dee Williams , Naomi Ackie

Runtime

142 minutes

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10 Movie Franchises That Wasted Their Best Endings

While some movie franchises come to a perfect climax, others should have ended sooner but opted to continue, tarnishing their legacy forever.

3 Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

Should Have Been Directed By Emerald Fennell

Gunpowder Milkshake had so much potential — the cast is fantastic, the aesthetics are interesting, and the action is absolutely wild. However, the movie fails to fully explore what it sets up to be the main themes, has some glaring plot holes, and underuses the supporting characters. The last is particularly frustrating when the trio of “librarians” are played by Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino. This movie wants to be a well-crafted feminist action adventure, and while some of the smaller narrative elements build towards this, the most important instances of dialogue fall short.

Gunpowder Milkshake would have benefited from a director with more experience blending action with profound themes. Emerald Fennell in particular has also worked with some more colorful aesthetics in juxtaposition with grim storylines. The recent addition of Saltburn to her repertoire only proves that she makes the best of every scene, fitting them together in the bizarre puzzle of an overall story. Fennell’s career suggests that she has a better understanding of what Gunpowder Milkshake was supposed to be about, while the people who did end up working on it had minimal experience and produced a generic action movie.

Gunpowder Milkshake

Gunpowder Milkshake is an action film that sees Karen Gillan as a woman following in her mother’s footsteps as an assassin. Abandoned at twelve years old, Sam has grown into a skilled assassin. However, after a job goes sideways after learning the truth about it, Sam decides to take up the vigilante route to save a kidnapped girl, resulting in an unexpected team-up with her estranged mother.

Director

Navot Papushado

Release Date

July 14, 2021

Cast

Angela Bassett , Michael Smiley , Adam Nagaitis , Karen Gillan , Michelle Yeoh , Paul Giamatti , Ralph Ineson , Lena Headey , Carla Gugino , Chloe Coleman

Runtime

114minutes

2 Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

Should Have Been Directed By Sofia Coppola Or Greta Gerwig

Don’t Worry Darling is Olivia Wilde’s project and I don’t want to undermine that — I believe that a lot of the movie’s sharpness is due to her. However, a more experienced co-director might have helped the movie stick the landing. The script needed a little more finessing before it found a way for its major themes to come through. The two biggest directors who come to mind, having worked on fantastical movies concerning the best and worst of womanhood, are Sofia Coppola and Greta Gerwig. Just some more experience with these subgenres would have transformed Wilde’s foundational ideas.

Don’t Worry Darling with more of Barbie‘s sophisticated writing or The Virgin Suicides’ disturbing segments would have been much more powerful. The movie as it is has excellent horror elements, but the scenario is so unrealistic that there is no way to connect it to reality. However, I still believe that Don’t Worry Darling could have been an even more harrowing movie with some minor script adjustments, possibly connecting it to real technological advancement. Admittedly, Wilde did very well with her feature-length directorial debut of Booksmart and had reason to be confident in her ability to make this movie.

Don’t Worry Darling

In Don’t Worry Darling, a young married couple are lucky enough to live in Victory, an experimental town created to house the workers and families of the top-secret Victory Project. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is an unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. But soon, cracks in their idyllic life appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade.

Director

Olivia Wilde

Release Date

September 22, 2022

Runtime

2h 2m

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10 Movies With Serious Wasted Potential That Should Be Remade

Many movies had the potential to be amazing but fell short of their target. Remakes of these movies would allow a chance to regain any lost potential.

1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Should Have Been Directed By Guillermo del Toro

Along with a lot of other people, I’ve said many times before that The Hobbit should have been directed by Guillermo del Toro and made into two movies, as was the original plan. The Hobbit as it was adapted was supposed to be another Lord of the Rings trilogy, trying to match the previous movies in terms of spectacle and narrative scale. However, The Hobbit is a relatively short story that isn’t meant to support this format, leading to the finished product being very bloated. Additionally, it is just a generic medievalist fantasy action franchise featuring nothing original.

That is to say, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is really lacking character. Del Toro’s aptitude for horror and subversive fairy tales would have served the story well, granting it an aesthetic that complimented Lord of the Rings but still made The Hobbit fresh. Sequences such as the Dwarves arriving at Bag End and Bilbo’s guessing game with Gollum have a fable-like quality that would have been elevated by del Toro’s approach to storytelling. In this case, I know I am not alone in thinking this movie would have been saved by a director change.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

As Bilbo Baggins celebrates his 111th birthday, he recounts the extraordinary journey that changed his life. Guided by the enigmatic wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins a band of Dwarves on a perilous quest to reclaim their homeland from the fearsome dragon, Smaug. Along the way, they face treacherous foes, unearth long-buried secrets, and discover unexpected courage within themselves. With danger lurking at every turn, Bilbo’s adventure unfolds in a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope.

Release Date

December 14, 2012

Cast

Martin Freeman , Ian McKellen , Richard Armitage , Ken Stott , Cate Blanchett , Ian Holm , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , James Nesbitt , Elijah Wood , Andy Serkis

Runtime

169 Minutes